Chris Evans’ pal insists move to Virgin Radio is nothing to do with money

Chris Evans insisted his move to Virgin Radio represented a new challenge as he leaves behind 15million listeners a week for just 413,000 at the digital-only station. But the £2million deal will also land him a handsome pay rise from his £1.6million BBC Radio 2 salary as well as the chance to make millions more from commercial opportunities. Evans yesterday announced he was quitting after eight years at the helm. It came just a year after the backlash over his mega-money salary at the Beeb, when he had to take a £600,000 wage cut and high-earning stars such as him were ordered to pay more tax. But he told listeners on his breakfast show: “Some of us are mountain climbers and, if you get to the top of your favourite mountain, you become a mountain observer, so I’ve got to keep climbing. “I’m going to on a new adventure.” Evans, worth £50million, hosted a ­breakfast show on Virgin Radio, from 1997 to 2001, and claimed it was “my spiritual home”. A pal added: “He is moving to a station with a comparatively small audience for a new ­challenge. If you are working for the BBC there are lots of commercial opportunities you can’t do. “Money was not a factor in terms of what he got paid and will get paid now on air, but opportunity is a factor in terms of what he can do for Virgin and outside commercially.” It was announced last year Evans, 52, was the BBC’s… [Read full story]